Longtime America's Cup sponsor Louis Vuitton wants $3M of its spend refunded "because so few teams have entered." A source said that the brand's initial sponsorship was for $10M. Its "contract was based on at least eight teams taking part" in the Louis Vuitton Cup round-robin event preceding the America's Cup, but only three teams have entered. The source said that Louis Vuitton can get a $1M refund "for each team less than six that participate" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/10).

The Lexington Center Corporation BOD today formally approved the hiring of Seattle-based NBBJ to design renovations to the Univ. of Kentucky's Rupp Arena and Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction to execute the project. NBBJ "will work with the Lexington-based EOP Architects" on the project. The LCC arrived at its decision after a subcommittee "interviewed four architectural firms and five construction companies." Hunt was "involved in the original construction of Rupp" (KENTUCKY.com, 7/10).

The Univ. of Minnesota has selected Mortenson Construction as the contractor for the $4.5M in upgrades at TCF Bank Stadium "needed to get the stadium ready" to host Vikings games in '14 and '15. Mortenson beat out PCL Construction Services and J.E. Dunn for the contract, which "will include the installation of heating coils under the turf and some temporary seating behind the western end zone." Mortenson built the stadium and will lead construction of the Vikings' new venue (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/10).

Barclays Center parent company Brooklyn Arena LLC today announced that it will offer oversight of the Islanders and that Brett Yormark will lead the business side of the NHL team. Yormark will retain his duties as Nets and Barclays Center CEO. Arena personnel will work with the Islanders' business operations department before and after the team's move to Brooklyn for the '15-16 season. Islanders hockey operations remain under the leadership of team President & GM Garth Snow (Barclays Center).

A Texas federal court judge yesterday declined to certify a class of aggrieved ticketholders from Super Bowl XLV in '11, dealing a significant setback to their case. The game at Cowboys Stadium featured the seating fiasco in which thousands of temporary seats were not available. The NFL has settled individually with many ticketholders, but the current lawsuit still could have represented thousands. While ticketholders that have not settled could still individually proceed on their own with lawsuits against the NFL, they will apparently not do so together.

Judge Barbara Lynn found the ticketholders were too individualized, with too many different potential damages to be considered a class. Ticketholders were lumped into four groups – those who did not get in to see the game live, those who were delayed getting to their seats, those who got in but missed parts of the game being moved to new seats and those who received replacement seats with obstructed views.

BodyArmor SuperDrink today announced a promotion featuring Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski in partnership with Tedeschi Food Shops. The "Spike with Gronk" promo will run for the remainder of this month. Aspects include a Boston-area sweepstakes through Aug. 1 accessible through the Tedeschi Facebook page and an in-store campaign that allows shoppers to scan a barcode on POS displays to enable a video message from Gronkowski. A national contest invites consumers to upload videos of themselves emulating Gronkowski's spike celebration (BodyArmor).

Syracuse Univ. tonight will publicly present plans for its new indoor practice facility, after releasing renderings online yesterday. The plans include a "regulation-sized football field," and the building could accommodate lacrosse and soccer as well. An "orange 'S' sits in the middle of the turf field." The ceiling "will reach about 79 feet, which will make it difficult to punt" (SYRACUSE.com, 7/10). Syracuse Assistant Dir for Planning Steve Schroeder said that there are "plans to add statues of football greats Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little outside" the facility (SYRACUSE.com, 7/10).

T-Mobile in its first year as an MLB sponsor is using next week's All-Star Game and associated events around it to help launch a series of technology, pricing and packaging initiatives that the cell phone company is calling "Our Boldest Moves Yet." Announced today in N.Y. by senior T-Mobile execs was the expansion of its 4G LTE network to cover 157 million people in 116 metro areas; JUMP, a new, simpler program allowing more phone upgrades up to twice a year; and a new four-line family plan, priced at $100 monthly. "We are redefining a stupid, broken, arrogant industry," said T-Mobile CEO John Legere (Terry Lefton, Staff Writer).

Meanwhile, MLB and the Mets today announced plans for a series of projects that will be held in conjunction with next week's All-Star Game at Citi Field. The projects will include building a public schoolyard in Brooklyn; renovation projects in Queens for youth baseball and softball fields, a veterans home and a Boys & Girls Club; a benefit concert in Central Park; a charity run in Prospect Park; and donations to the Wheelchair Sports Federation and Coney Island Hospital (MLB).

Miller Sports Properties has selected YESCO Electronics to manufacture and install video displays at EnergySolutions Arena, with a total of 37 displays to be added prior to the Jazz' '13-14 season (YESCO).

The NHL today formally announced plans for the Heritage Classic outdoor game featuring the Senators and Canucks at BC Place on March 2, 2014. The game will air on the CBC and RDS in Canada and NBC Sports Network in the U.S., with live radio coverage on SiriusXM (NHL).

MLS announced that '13 All-Star Game opponent AS Roma has adopted the league’s anti-discrimination awareness campaign called MLS WORKS “Don’t Cross the Line.” MLS’ All-Star team and AS Roma will wear “Don’t Cross the Line” uniform patches during the July 31 game (MLS).

FS South today unveiled its lineup of announcers for the '13 ACC football season. Wes Durham will handle play-by-play duties, with Brian Stann as color commentator and Jenn Hildreth as sideline reporter (FS South).

The Univ. of Alabama has signed a deal making Polk's Meat the official smoked sausage of the school's athletic department for the '13 season (Univ. of Alabama).

"The investments are for the long term. Not for the short term, not for the two weeks of the Olympic Games or the month of the FIFA World Cup" – IOC President Jacques Rogge, defending the billions of dollars spent on preparations for the '14 World Cup and '16 Summer Olympics in Brazil (USATODAY.com, 7/10).

"Why would an American company spend x amount of money in Formula One when they can get 10 times that exposure in America racing NASCAR? It makes zero sense financially" – NASCAR driver Scott Speed, who previously raced in F1, on the lack of U.S.-based companies involved in open-wheel racing (AP, 7/10).

"Yasiel comes from a different place, a different culture, a totally different environment. There's adapting that needs to take place in a lot of different areas, including off the field" – Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, on the team hiring a former special education teacher to help Cuban-born RF Yaisel Puig acclimate to life in the U.S. (L.A. TIMES, 7/10).

Horrow Sports Ventures Exec Dir Brian Finkel: "Like the Kings hiring of Chris Granger as president. If arena construction isn't on schedule, Granger has friends in league office."

CBSSports.com's Ken Berger: "I feel like the Pelicans are just going to keep performing transactions until we get used to calling them the Pelicans."

ESPN's Bill Simmons: "Monta Ellis firing his agent ranked only behind Joey Chestnut winning the hot dog contest as July's most predictable moment."

Ad Age's Jeanine Poggi: "Lame plug for Fox Sports 1 on #SYTYCD last night with Erin Andrews as an unnecessary 4th judge. At least she has a dance background."

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Minor League Baseball put together this video as a tribute to Chase, a golden retriever who fetched bats for the Double-A Eastern League Trenton Thunder. Chase died earlier this week, not long after the team held a retirement ceremony for him.

90,000 – Gallons of water released in a large pipe breakage near Target Center yesterday. The "second water main break this year" in downtown Minneapolis left the arena without water (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/10).